![a British fava bean field in flower, sunny and warm with pods growing on the plant](http://honestbean.co.uk/cdn/shop/files/Honest-bean-co-fava-bean-plant_{width}x.jpg?v=1648131206)
WHAT ARE FAVA BEANS?
Fava beans might sound exotic, but they’re actually one of the UK’s oldest domesticated food crops – we’ve been growing and eating them here since the Iron Age. Fava bean plants - or Vicia Faba to give them their official name - belong to the pea and bean family. In the UK, we export thousands and thousands of them a year and import chickpeas instead. We’re trying to change that, in an effort to get more of you lot eating British grains and pulses!
They’re also a prized crop for farmers because of their amazing nitrogen fixing properties - great for soil health.
Yes – and some! Fava beans are incredibly nutritious for their tiny size, boasting high levels of protein, iron, fibre and just about everything good. Here are some facts that will make you want to eat more beans:
Fava beans pack a protein punch with around 8g of protein per 100g of beans
Fava beans are a rich source of dietary fibre (66% per100g RDA), which has been shown to decrease blood cholesterol levels
Snacks for you & the planet
![high in protein. There’s a whopping 10g of protein in every 40g serving of our beans!](http://honestbean.co.uk/cdn/shop/files/Honest_Bean-02_{width}x.png?v=1647274129)
There’s a whopping 10g of protein in every 40g serving of our beans!
![high in fibre. Keeping you fuller for longer and avoiding horrid sugar spikes.](http://honestbean.co.uk/cdn/shop/files/Honest_Bean-03_{width}x.png?v=1647274129)
Keeping you fuller for longer and avoiding horrid sugar spikes.
![low food miles. less imported pulses. let's eat more british pulses. grown in British soil](http://honestbean.co.uk/cdn/shop/files/Honest_Bean-04_{width}x.png?v=1647274129)
Forget importing nuts or chickpeas, all of our beans are grown right here in British soil.
![nitrogen fixing. good for soil. soil health. less fertilisers. Healthier soil](http://honestbean.co.uk/cdn/shop/files/Honest_Bean-05_{width}x.png?v=1647274129)
Fava beans fix nitrogen, meaning healthier soil and less fertilisers.